Free, open-source AI pair programmer for the terminal that edits code in your Git repo using cloud model keys or local models.
Open-source alternative toClaude CodeCursor
Aider at a glance
Checked 21 Oct 2026Aider is a command-line tool you run inside your project folder. You chat with it, it edits files across the repo and commits each change to Git with a descriptive message, so /undo and normal git tools can roll work back. It maps your codebase, can lint and run tests after every change and try to fix what fails, and can be scripted with --message. It connects to most cloud models with your own API key, or to local models through Ollama or LM Studio. Apache-2.0. Its docs cover no MCP support, pull requests or IDE plugin; IDE use works by watching for comments in your code.
RepoQuarry. “Aider.” Checked 21 Oct 2026. https://repoquarry.dev/projects/aiderHow much of Claude Code does it replace?
- Personal use
- Confirmed: Yes
- For a business
- Confirmed: Yes
4 of 6 jobs. Strong terminal editing with auto-commits and lint/test fixing; its docs cover no MCP, pull requests, no GitHub Actions guide, and IDE use is comment-driven rather than a plugin.
For use the agent inside VS Code or JetBrains, connect tools and data through MCP, see other Claude Code alternatives. You may also need to build an interface, an API server and hosting yourself.
How much of Cursor does it replace?
- Personal use
- Confirmed: Yes
- For a business
- Confirmed: Yes
3 of 7 jobs. Edits across many files from the terminal; it is not an editor, so there is no tab completion or cloud agents, and its docs cover no MCP.
For code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, connect tools and data through MCP, run agents in the cloud in the background, see other Cursor alternatives. You may also need to build an interface, an API server and hosting yourself.
Facts, with sources
Every answer links to where we found it. We read the documentation; we did not install it.
Aider lets you pair program with LLMs to start a new project or build on your existing codebase.github.com · aider#readme ↗ today
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004github.com · LICENSE.txt ↗ today
each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright licensegithub.com · LICENSE.txt ↗ today
Aider can connect to local Ollama models.aider.chat · ollama.html ↗ today
These one-liners will install aider, along with python 3.12 if needed.aider.chat · install.html ↗ today
This will install aider in its own separate python environment.aider.chat · install.html ↗ today
No licence changes since we started watching. Licence watch: follow Aider and we email you if its licence terms change.
Growth and activity in detail
Is it popular, and is anyone still working on it? From GitHub.
Numbers appear after the first nightly fetch from GitHub.